The $1bn jackpot

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[{"selector":"#anim-fd4ac736-c433-4562-8907-1c954d122105","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31260596-93c7-4a75-9443-8fed7734c585 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.23295444978073%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] The Mega Millions lottery jackpot will exceed $1bn for Friday's draw, one of the biggest in US history.

[{"selector":"#anim-76470a89-f048-401d-a007-a031fe0ded8b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4bbd50b-f2d6-419a-9616-8d3b9606695e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.23295444978073%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] The have been no grand prize winners for the past three and a half months and the jackpot has grown rapidly.

[{"selector":"#anim-43be6113-3d74-4beb-8105-a067e1d07ac6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75bdbdf7-f67e-4e11-8774-f85618128911 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.505681705959017%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both"}] The last Mega Millions jackpot was won on 15 April when a player from Tennessee bagged $20m.

[{"selector":"#anim-6ca5321e-e2b8-4aca-a275-298384affea4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75d5459e-9f2f-4761-b730-281fbfe12006 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.23295444978073%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both"}] The current jackpot began life the following week, with another $20m on offer for the winner.

[{"selector":"#anim-9ce5c75a-cf4c-4654-b1d1-341fd3fb9dbe","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-41be4205-df53-41a4-ab80-f8c679287a61 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(32.01704534542558%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] After four unsuccessful draws the jackpot had risen to $43m, just as Elon Musk's $44bn bid for Twitter was being accepted.

[{"selector":"#anim-454ac6ea-178e-4eb8-a578-f165f2a4239b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8347dac3-6ca4-43a3-a03c-6507ab5f4c4a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(38.3338003987303%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] By mid-May the jackpot had reached nine figures, standing at $112m after having been running for a month.

[{"selector":"#anim-cfec91a4-5c82-440c-ac62-5ce59c5b3035","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1d0778c-83d6-44f9-8fc1-cb2445d119c8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] In June the price of Bitcoin reached a two-year low, but the Mega Millions jackpot had surged to $247m.

[{"selector":"#anim-86789452-05e8-4fa2-8e8d-f6ba56427bfb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3f34255-a8aa-4621-87b6-a208adbbbf18 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(46.63264974870934%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] By the time UK PM Boris Johnson resigned in early July, the jackpot had reached $410m.

[{"selector":"#anim-ecd671e7-a8db-4041-a641-24fa768f5015","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb5af18c-5f2f-4ad9-904c-7259bf23940f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(40.454927613704186%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] The prize money surpassed half a billion dollars on 19 July, hitting $550m after three months of roll-overs.

[{"selector":"#anim-6c83fdb8-6a33-4c72-a98a-2153c751d1b8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1402d1c0-b45b-479e-9ce6-f62256a43c9e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.23295444978073%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both"}] Tuesday's $830m jackpot could cover the most expensive sports contract ever, Lionel Messi's 4-year $826m deal.

[{"selector":"#anim-75216578-e6f4-4ac1-96c1-f5671033d307","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.31330%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7be49388-8c6a-456a-9b1c-97becd1a39b0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.23295444978073%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"fill":"both"}] Friday's jackpot is expected to reach $1.025bn, only the fourth billion-dollar jackpot in US history!

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